Refueling the refrigerator with freon: a step-by-step guide to refueling with your own hands at home

If the refrigerator breaks unexpectedly, the problem may be a refrigerant fluid leak. This is probably the most common malfunction in refrigerators. You don't even need to ask a master for help, who knows how and with what refrigerators are refueled, because refueling a refrigerator with freon with your own hands is quite simple. For this purpose, you must use step by step guide and be sure to adhere to security measures.

Why does freon flow

In most refrigerators, it is this substance that acts as a refrigerant. Freon is odorless gas. It does not deteriorate, but sometimes you may need to refuel it.

The loss of freon can occur for the following reasons:

• compressor malfunction;
• depressurization of the capillaries responsible for the supply of freon;
• mechanical damage to the compressor and condensate;
• low-quality capillaries (tubes) and the presence of microcracks in them;
• insufficient or incorrect tubing connection.

To understand that a leak is the cause of the problem, you should check if the freezer is cooling. The compressor continues to run even when the refrigerator compartment is not in operation.

It should be remembered that a leak can lead to serious consequencesbecause gas is an explosive substance. Therefore, you should immediately eliminate the malfunction.

Safety measures at work

If a decision is made to replace freon in the refrigerator with your own hands, then it should be understood that this venture is very dangerous and responsible. In this case, you need to insure yourself and observe the following rules:

• the refrigerator must be turned off before repair;
• when refueling freon, it is forbidden to smoke and start heating equipment;
• repairs must be carried out in a specially designated area, while the device must be grounded;
• sealing of all joints is carried out subject to all safety rules;
• the room where the repair is being made, after its completion, you need to properly ventilate;
• gas must be purchased exclusively from trusted sources who have all the necessary certificates on hand;
• When testing the unit, read the instruction manual carefully.

Preparing for refueling at home

Before as fill the refrigerator freon at home, gas must be removed from the system, observing safety precautions. For this purpose, a special needle grip is used, which will act as a vise for clamping the filter drier. After that, a puncture is created in the area where copper is visible.

For maximum convenience and safety, it is better to take the pipes out into an open window, then unscrew the valve so that excess pressure is released from the system. After that, the system must be purged with nitrogen to get rid of the remaining moisture. Freon gas is pumped using a Schroeder valve. Before connecting the gas cylinder, make sure that the pressure inside it is at least 6 atmospheres. With more or less pressure you can use a reducer.

The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• blow out the refrigerator for ten to fifteen minutes;
• close the valve in the area where the needle gripper is installed;
• cut off the desiccant filter in the area of ​​the capillary tube;
• repeat blowing.

It should be remembered that during the replacement of the drying filter, the circuit through which the freon circulates must not be left in the open position for more than fifteen minutes. The new part should only be installed after the purge is complete.

Step-by-step refueling guide

For repairs, you should get a pair of pressure gauges. One should be blue and the other red. They come with three hoses and two valves. Blue device identifies injection pressure, red is used to detect pumping. The pressure gauge valves shut off the movement of the gaseous substance in the various hoses.

Filling with freon involves several stages:

1. All valves on the pressure gauge close.
2. A blue hose is connected to the filling pipe using a fitting. The yellow hose connects to the gas cylinder.
3. If it is necessary to measure the discharge force, then a Schrader valve is installed in this pipeline. After that, a red tube is brought to this element.
4. On the blue pressure gauge valve opens. The freon bottle opens neatly. With the help of gas in the supercharger, a pressure of 0.4-0.6 atmospheres is achieved. When this figure is reached, you need to close the pair of valves at the same time.
5. The compressor must be started for thirty to forty seconds and turned off again.
6. A yellow tube is disconnected from the gas cylinder, and a vacuum pump is installed in its place.
7. On the pipeline itself, you need to turn on the blue valve and start compressor for about seven to ten minutes.
8. The yellowish hose must be disconnected from the compressor and screwed to the gas cylinder on which the valve is to be opened. In this case, the yellow tube is disconnected so that the gas squeezes out all residual air in it.
9. After removing the air, the yellow hose must be tightly wrapped. On the manifold, open the valve (blue) and pump the required amount of freon into the refrigerator.
10. Deactivated pumping station and the pressure is monitored. If this indicator is normal, then it is necessary to bend and solder the tubes, and completely unscrew all existing hoses.

Filling freon in the refrigerator yourself is not very difficult if you know about the procedure. In order to save on the services of a specialist repairman, fixtures and fittings for repairs are desirable rent, because it is very expensive and is unlikely to pay off, since replacing freon is required enough rarely.